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#26

re: best overtures

I've always liked Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, and Seussical. :)
#27

re: best overtures

The overatures from Candide, Man of La Mancha, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are some of my favourites.
#28

re: best overtures

I think the best overtures are (in no particular order):

CATS

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

CHICAGO

SUNSET BOULEVARD

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

MY FAIR LADY
#29

re: best overtures

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Mamma Mia
Tommy
All Shook Up
The Producers
Gypsy
Candide
On the Twentieth Century
My Fair Lady
Spamalot
Light in the Piazza
Crazy for You
Of Thee I Sing
Funny Girl
Kismet
Jubilee
Bye Bye Birdie
My Favorite Year
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Big River
Chicago
Little Women: The Musical
Prodigal
Seussical
She Loves Me
The Full Monty
Urinetown
Wonderful Town
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
#30

re: best overtures

In order:

Bye Bye Birdie
West Side Story
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Sweet Charity
and Wicked
Tick Tock
#31

re: best overtures

My top three are:

High Spirits
Funny Girl
My Fair Lady
"I believe that art does not exist only to entertain, but also to challenge one to think, to provoke, even to disturb, to engage in a constant search for the truth." - Barbra Streisand
#32

re: best overtures

I agree with Cats, it does have an incredible overture.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#33

re: best overtures

I'm probably missing a ton, considering the fact that i only have four on the list, but Piazza, Chicago, Candide and DRS
oy with the poodles already!
#34

re: best overtures

Candide
Urinetown
Light in the Piazza
The Color Purple
West Side Story
Chicago
Merrily We Roll Along

These are no particular order, I just admire them so much, they, for the mostpart, sound brilliant

Updated On: 3/26/06 at 06:12 PM

#35

re: best overtures

How has no one mentioned A Little Night Music yet?
#36

re: best overtures

oh yeah Candide, durh
Don't f*ck with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo.
#37

re: best overtures

Thoroughly Modern Millie
Gypsy
Wonderful Town
Chicago
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Phantom of the Opera
Sweet Charity
The Producers
Spamalot
Little Women

Doesn't count, but: Cabaret Enrt'acte

I usually like overtures, rarely there is one I don't like at all.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
#38

re: best overtures

"Gypsy" is surely the greatest overture ever written, "Camelot" is the most memorable and any of the overtures for the classic Rodgers and Hart shows by Hans Spialek ("On Your Toes" "Babes in Arms" "Pal Joey") are wonderous but my vote is for one of the most pioneering, trendsetting overtures. In an age when EVERY show had a five minute overture, (which BTW was mainly to force the audiece into their seats from the lobby and street as if to say "hey, the show really is starting" and yes, people DID walk in during the overture) "Brigadoon" gets the job done - sets the mood, identifies the location and revs up the audience in a mere one page overture (I assume 96 to 128 bars). Then 48 brief bars of vocal voice-over and straight into the exposition scene. Amazing and daring for its time.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=972787#3631451 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=963561#3533883 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955158#3440952 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954269#3427915 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955012#3441622 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954344#3428699
#39

re: best overtures

Gypsy
Candide
Wonderful Town
Sweet Charity
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Light in the Piazza


The towel waving reminded me of a Per?nist rally. I kept chanting "Evita!" whenever they'd pan to the crowds. - SM2
#40

re: best overtures

Gypsy for me! I also love Phantom!
#41

re: best overtures

Without a doubt, Les Mis.
#43

re: best overtures

chicago
dirty rotten scoundrels
millie
how to succeed (revival)
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
#44

re: best overtures

Funny Girl and King And I ain't bad either.:)
#45

re: best overtures

I enjoy the overtures of most of R&H's plays: Sound of Music, King & I, Carousel, South Pacific, & Flower Drum Song. My Fair Lady and West Side Story also have great overtures. For the more recent plays, I'd vote for Les Mis and Miss Saigon.
"I love acting. It is so much more real than life." Oscar Wilde
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." Aldous Huxley
#46

re: best overtures

Mamma Mia as well, its Entra'cte is great as well
Herbie: "Honey, Don't you know there's a depression?"
Rose: "Of Course I know, I Watch Fox News"
-(modified)Gypsy
Broadway Schedule
December 5th- Hamilton, On Your Feet
December 19th- Noises Off, Edith Piaf Concert at Town Hall
#47

re: best overtures

For me - - - - GYPSY - - - and, LA CAGE - - -
#48

re: best overtures

High Spirits
Any Jule Styne
Any Jerry Herman
Poster Emeritus
#49

re: best overtures

My favorite overturnes are:
"Miss Saigon"
"Les Miserables," even though it is short for an overturn, I like it because it is powerful.
The "Cats" overture is pretty good too.

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